Senate Bill 1213-07
UNIVERSITY SENATE
UNVERSITY AT ALBANY
STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
Introduced by:
UAC and GAC
Date:
May 13, 2013
PROPOSAL TO MODIFY SENATE BILL 0506-25, “STANDARDS OF ACADEMIC INTEGRITY”
IT IS HEREBY PROPOSED THAT:
1. Senate Bill 0506-25, “Standards of Academic Integrity” be modified for the reasons
outlined in the rationale and in the manner reflected in the text that follows.
2. The revised policy take effect and be printed in the Undergraduate and Graduate Bulletins
beginning in Fall 2013 and continuing thereafter.
3. This bill be forwarded to the President for approval.
RATIONALE
Since the 2010-2011 academic year, the Undergraduate and Graduate Councils have been
working in conjunction with several administrative offices on campus to remove ambiguities and
inconsistencies in the university’s Standards of Academic Integrity, and to create common
language so that the policy may apply equally and identically to both undergraduate and graduate
programs. The policy that follows this rationale is the fruit of those efforts, and represents a
revision and update of several components of the policy created in 2006 with Senate Bill 0506-
25. Nonetheless, this revision retains the overall justification and spirit of the earlier legislation,
which seeks to outline clearly shared principles of trust and integrity that undergird the scholarly
enterprise.
The new policy accomplishes several main goals:
it standardizes academic integrity policy across undergraduate and graduate programs;
it ensures that students, faculty, and staff understand clearly how cases of suspected
violations of academic integrity will be addressed and adjudicated at all levels;
it clearly specifies reporting procedures, including the filing of Violation of Academic
Integrity (VAIR) Forms, and the instances in which cases will be forwarded to the Office
of Conflict Resolution and Civic Responsibility (OCRCR);
it brings policy and practice at the university into line with SUNY’s record retention
policies with respect to the maintenance of records of violations of academic integrity.
In substance, the new policy differs from the present policy in the following ways:
it requires, rather than “strongly recommend[s],” that instructors mention the importance
of the university’s Standards of Academic Integrity in their course syllabi;
it clearly states that VAIRs not upheld through the grievance process or other adjudication
will be destroyed and will not be retained as part of students’ records, and specifies the
lengths of time VAIRs that are upheld will be retained, in accordance with SUNY record
retention policies;
it defines specifically the cases when the Office of Vice Provost and Dean for either
Undergraduate Education or Graduate Education may forward a single, isolated violation
to the OCRCR, i.e., when a faculty member in whose course the violation occurred, or a
faculty member or College/School Dean responsible for the program considers the case to
be particularly egregious;
it makes clear that when the Office of Vice Provost and Dean for either Undergraduate
Education or Graduate Education receives a second VAIR on one student, the OCRCR
will hear the case.
A comparison of the proposed policy here and the present policy (see the Undergraduate
Bulletin, http://www.albany.edu/undergraduate_bulletin/regulations.html; and the Graduate
Bulletin, http://www.albany.edu/graduatebulletin/requirements_degree.htm#standards_integrity)
shows that these changes are primarily clarifications that make the policy and lines of
responsibility for enforcement more apparent and easily understandable for the entire university
community.
The primary purpose here is to articulate a policy in which everyone may have confidence, and
so may uphold and follow in all academic exercises at the university.
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UAC/GAC, 05/03/13 (for inclusion in both the Undergraduate and Graduate
Bulletins)
Standards of Academic Integrity
Standards of Academic Integrity
As a community of scholars, the University at Albany has a special responsibility to integrity and
truth. By testing, analyzing, and scrutinizing ideas and assumptions, scholarly inquiry produces
the timely and valuable bodies of knowledge that guide and inform important and significant
decisions, policies, and choices. Our duty to be honest, methodical, and careful in the attribution
of data and ideas to their sources establishes the foundations of our work. Misrepresenting or
falsifying scholarship undermines the essential trust on which our community depends. Every
member of the community, including both faculty and students, shares an interest in maintaining
academic integrity.
When the entire University community upholds the principles of academic integrity, it creates an
environment where students value their education and embrace experiences of discovery and
intellectual growth. In this environment, grades and degrees are awarded and applauded as the
recognition of years of learning, achievement, discipline, and hard work. Maintaining the highest
standards of academic integrity insures the value and reputation of our degree programs; these
standards represent an ethical obligation for faculty intrinsic to their role as educators, as well as
a pledge of honor on the part of students. If a violation of academic integrity occurs, faculty,
deans, and students all share in the responsibility to report it.
Violations of trust harm everyone. The academic community needs to trust that its members do
not misrepresent their data, take credit for another's ideas or labor, misrepresent or interfere with
the work of other scholars, or present previous work as if it were new. Acts of academic
dishonesty undermine the value and credibility of the institution as a whole, and may distract
others from important scholarship or divert resources away from critical research. In particular,
students who plagiarize or falsify their work not only fail to adhere to the principles of scholarly
inquiry and fail their peers by taking undeserved credit or reward, but they also fail to
demonstrate their learning.
These guidelines define a shared context of values to help both students and faculty to make
individual and institutional decisions about academic integrity. Every student has the
responsibility to become familiar with the standards of academic integrity at the University.
Faculty members must specify in their syllabi information about academic integrity, and may
refer students to this policy for more information. Nonetheless, student claims of ignorance,
unintentional error, or personal or academic pressures cannot be excuses for violation of
academic integrity. Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the standards and
behaving accordingly, and UAlbany faculty are responsible for teaching, modeling and
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upholding them. Anything less undermines the worth and value of our intellectual work, and the
reputation and credibility of the University at Albany degree.
Resources for Students
The University Libraries offer two important resources for students needing additional
orientation to academic integrity.
Information Literacy Courses: These courses help students learn how to locate and evaluate
information effectively —skills that will help not only with university studies, but also in the
workplace. Students who have taken an information literacy course note that the process of doing
research for a paper or project becomes much more transparent. Some of these courses also
investigate ethical, social, and legal issues connected to information in today’s world. The
University Libraries offer two such courses, one focusing on humanities and social sciences
(UNL 205) and the other aimed toward the sciences (UNL 206).
CitationFox: The University Libraries offer CitationFox, an extensive resource developed by
UAlbany librarians that provides citation guidance and examples for both the MLA and APA
style. Students may also access the Plagiarism 101 Tutorial available through University
Libraries for a primer on when sources must be cited.
Students should consult syllabi, their instructors, and in relevant circumstances their advisors for
information about specific policies on academic integrity in courses or other academic exercises
such as comprehensive/qualifying examinations, theses, and dissertations.
Graduate students may access additional information on Academic Integrity, Conduct, and
Research Regulations via the Graduate Education website.
Examples of Academic Dishonesty
The following is a list of acts considered to be academically dishonest and therefore
unacceptable. Committing such acts is a breach of integrity and is subject to penalty. No such list
can, of course, describe all possible types or degrees of academic dishonesty. Therefore this list
should be viewed as a set of examples, rather than as an exhaustive list. Individual faculty
members, Deans of Schools and Colleges as appropriate, and the Office of Conflict Resolution
and Civic Responsibility will continue to judge each breach according to its particular context.
Plagiarism: Presenting as one's own work the work of another person (for example, the words,
ideas, information, data, evidence, organizing principles, or style of presentation of someone
else). Some examples of plagiarism include copying, paraphrasing, or summarizing without
acknowledgment, submission of another student's work as one's own, the purchase/use of
prepared research or completed papers or projects, and the unacknowledged use of research
sources gathered by someone else. Failure to indicate accurately the extent and precise nature of
one's reliance on other sources is also a form of plagiarism. Students are responsible for
understanding legitimate use of sources, and appropriate ways of acknowledging academic,
scholarly, or creative indebtedness.
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Examples of plagiarism include: failure to acknowledge the source(s) of even a few phrases,
sentences, or paragraphs; failure to acknowledge a quotation or paraphrase of paragraph-length
sections of a paper; failure to acknowledge the source(s) of a major idea or the source(s) for an
ordering principle; failure to acknowledge the source (quoted, paraphrased, or summarized) of
major sections or passages in the paper or project; the unacknowledged use of several major
ideas or extensive reliance on another person's data, evidence, or critical method; submitting as
one's own work, work borrowed, stolen, or purchased from someone else.
Cheating on Examinations: Giving or receiving unauthorized help before, during, or after an
examination. Examples of unauthorized help include collaboration of any sort during an
examination (unless specifically approved by the instructor); collaboration before an examination
(when such collaboration is specifically forbidden by the instructor); the use of notes, books, or
other aids during an examination (unless permitted by the instructor); arranging for another
person to take an examination in one's place; looking upon someone else's examination during
the examination period; intentionally allowing another student to look upon one's exam;
unauthorized discussion of exam questions during the examination period; and the passing of
any examination information to students who have not yet taken the examination. There can be
no conversation while an examination is in progress unless specifically authorized by the
instructor.
Multiple Submission: Submitting substantial portions of the same work for credit more than
once without receiving the prior explicit consent of the instructor to whom the material is being
submitted the second or subsequent time.
Forgery: Imitating another person's signature on academic or other official documents, including
class material.
Sabotage: Willfully destroying, damaging, or stealing of another's work or working materials
(including lab experiments, computer programs, term papers, digital files, or projects).
Unauthorized Collaboration: Collaborating on projects, papers, or other academic exercises
when this is forbidden by the instructor(s). The default faculty assumption is that work submitted
for credit is entirely one's own. At the same time, standards on appropriate and inappropriate
collaboration as well as the need for collaboration vary across courses and disciplines. Therefore,
students who want to confer or collaborate with one another on work receiving academic credit
should seek the instructor’s permission to collaborate.
Falsification: Misrepresenting material or fabricating information in an academic exercise or
assignment (for example, the false or misleading citation of sources, the falsification of
experimental or computer data, etc.).
Bribery: Offering or giving any article of value or service to an instructor in an attempt to
receive a grade or other benefits not legitimately earned or not available to other students in the
class.
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Theft, Damage, or Misuse of Library or IT Resources: Removing uncharged library materials
from the library, defacing or damaging library materials, intentionally displacing or hoarding
materials within the library for one's unauthorized private use, or other abuse of reserve-book
privileges. Any violation of the University’s Responsible Use of Information Technology policy.
This includes, but is not limited to, unauthorized use of the University's or another person's
computer accounts, codes, passwords, or facilities; damaging computer equipment or interfering
with the operation of the computing system of the University.
Penalties and Procedures for Violations of Academic Integrity
The course instructor is responsible for determining when a student has violated academic
integrity in a course. Students engaging in other academic activities such as qualifying or
comprehensive examinations, theses, dissertations must also adhere to the standards of academic
integrity outlined in this policy. In these cases, academic advisors and department, college, or
school officials responsible for a student’s program of study are charged with determining if a
student has violated academic integrity.
When a faculty member determines that a student has violated academic integrity, he or she will
inform the student and impose an appropriate sanction. Faculty members must respond in a
manner most appropriate to the particular infraction and the circumstances of the case in
question, according to his or her best judgment. Penalties for violations of academic integrity
may include, but are not limited to, the following:
(1) Warning without further penalty, or with a requirement that an assignment be redone
without a breach of academic integrity and resubmitted;
(2) Lowering of an assignment/exam grade;
(3) Assigning a failing grade on a paper containing plagiarized material;
(4) Assigning a failing grade on any examination in which cheating occurred;
(5) Lowering a course grade; or
(6) Giving a failing grade in a course or other academic exercise
In addition, faculty members encountering a violation of academic integrity in their courses are
required to complete and file the Violation of Academic Integrity Report. The report should
indicate the sanction imposed and a brief description of the incident. Faculty filing a VAIR will
submit copies both to the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education or Graduate Education, as
appropriate, and to the student.
If a faculty member informs the student that he or she will receive a failing grade for the course
as a whole or for a component of the course as a result of academic dishonesty, the student
receiving such a penalty will not be permitted to withdraw from the course, or to change the
grading basis of the course from A-E to S/U.
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Students who feel they have been erroneously penalized for an academic integrity infraction, or
who think that a penalty is inappropriate, may make use of the grievance procedures, beginning
with the Department and the College/School where the course was offered. Each College/School
of the University has procedures for students who seek to dispute grades assigned or penalties
imposed for academic infractions. Copies of the procedures are maintained in the
College/School Deans’ Offices or on their respective websites.
If a student is cleared of wrongdoing through the grievance process, the student will not be
subject to any penalties and the Violation of Academic Integrity Report associated with the case
will be destroyed.
A violation confirmed by admission on the part of the student, by the student’s acceptance of the
charges and penalties outlined in the Violation of Academic Integrity Report, or through the
grievance process will result in the enforcement of the penalty determined by the faculty member
reporting the incident.
Under either of the following two conditions, a violation may be forwarded to the Office of
Conflict Resolution and Civic Responsibility for further adjudication and, potentially, further
sanction:
The faculty member reporting the incident has determined that the violation is serious
enough to merit a failing grade in the course, and would like to have the case formally
adjudicated at this higher level.
A faculty member or College/School Dean responsible for the academic program in
which the offense has occurred deems it to be a particularly egregious case of academic
dishonesty, regardless of the penalty imposed by the instructor, and would like to see the
case formally adjudicated at this higher level.
In these circumstances, the faculty member or College/School Dean may request that the Office
of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education or Graduate Education, as appropriate, forward
the case to the Office of Conflict Resolution and Civic Responsibility.
However, the following circumstance will automatically result in the case being forwarded to the
Office of Conflict Resolution and Civic Responsibility for adjudication:
A previous Violation of Academic Integrity Report on the student. When a student
violates academic integrity in more than one academic exercise, whether those infractions
occurred during the same or different periods of time, or in the same or different courses,
the University regards the offense as an especially serious subversion of academic
integrity. The matter becomes particularly severe when the student has been confronted
with the first infraction before the second is committed. Whenever the Offices of
Undergraduate Education or Graduate Education receive a second Violation of Academic
Integrity Report on a student, the Vice Provost will request a hearing before the Office of
Conflict Resolution and Civic Responsibility.
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If a case is referred to the Office of Conflict Resolution and Civic Responsibility, that office will
act in accordance with its standard procedures to determine the final disposition of the case,
which may include revoking a student’s scholarship or fellowship, or teaching or research
assistantship, as well as or in addition to disciplinary probation, suspension, or expulsion. If a
hearing is held and a student is found “not in violation”, no punitive action may be taken against
the student and the Violation of Academic Integrity Report associated with the incident will be
destroyed.
A copy of the Violation of Academic Integrity Report associated with any incident in which the
student is not cleared of wrongdoing (through the grievance process or by the Office of Conflict
Resolution and Civic Responsibility) will be retained in the Offices of Undergraduate Education
or Graduate Education, as appropriate. The Offices of Undergraduate Education or Graduate
Education will maintain a copy of such reports for periods in accordance with SUNY student
record retention policies: three years beyond the academic year in which the violation occurred,
in the case of minor code violations (a single offense resulting in a sanction or sanctions short of
a failing grade in the course), and seven years beyond the academic year in which the violation
occurred, in the case of major code violations (a failing grade in the course, or any offence
referred to and confirmed by the Office of Conflict Resolution and Civic Responsibility). A
student’s record of violations of academic integrity may be communicated to graduate or
professional schools or employers who request such information about applicants who have
attended the University at Albany.
The Director of Libraries or Chief Information Officer, upon a finding of theft, damage, misuse
of facilities or resources, or a violation of University policies, will forward all such cases to the
Office of Conflict Resolution and Civic Responsibility for review and disposition, which can
include suspension or expulsion from the University. The Director of Libraries or Chief
Information Officer may, in individual cases, limit access to the Libraries or IT resources
pending action by the Office of Conflict Resolution and Civic Responsibility. In all other cases
of academic dishonesty by students, which come to the attention of any staff, faculty member, or
student, it is expected that the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education or Graduate Education,
as appropriate, will be consulted about such infractions. In addition, University Police may elect
to pursue the breaches, consistent with their policies.
The Office of Conflict Resolution and Civic Responsibility was established by the governing
bodies of the University at Albany and is administratively the responsibility of the Vice President
for Student Success. Any questions about the procedures of the Office of Conflict Resolution and
Civic Responsibility may be secured by inquiry to that office.
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